Fiber optic communications has experienced explosive growth. In just a few years, the transmission of communication signals for voice, video, data, and the like has soared, and more growth is planned as fiber optic communication technology improves and networks expand to provide greater access.
Inherent with any fiber optic network is the need to connect individual optical fibers to other optical fibers by using one of a multitude of fiber optic assemblies. The connection of these fiber optic assemblies must be executed with great care and precision in order to minimize losses in the transmitted communication signal. A common technique for connecting two optical fibers is by terminating an optical fiber with a fiber optic ferrule (hereinafter referred to as “ferrule”) and bringing an end face of the ferrule into a mating relationship with the end face of a second ferrule that terminates a second optical fiber. This is known as a ferrule connection. Typically, in a ferrule connection, each optical fiber is mounted in a passageway (e.g., a bore, channel, groove, or any other similar structure) formed through a ferrule, which may be a cylindrical or non-cylindrical shaped body made of any appropriate material.
Choosing a pair of ferrules for a ferrule connection is a selective process and requires identifying information associated with each ferrule, such as, for example, an optical characteristic. Information about an optical characteristic of a ferrule is extremely important because when two optical fibers are connected by a ferrule connection, there exists a potential for loss of optical power due to an imperfect transfer of the fiber optic communication signal from one optical fiber to the other. This loss can be attributed to a number of optical characteristics of the ferrule, such as, for example, offset in the co-axial alignment of the passageways defined by the ferrules, concentricity and eccentricity of the passageway with respect to each ferrule, other geometric characteristics of the end face of each ferrule, geometry of the end portion of the optical fiber, and optical characteristics of the other end of the cable (i.e., end other than the ferrule connection end of the two mated ferrules). Thus, when selecting the ferrules, it is critical to choose ferrules having optical characteristics that maximize the transfer of the fiber optic communication signal between ferrules.
In order to assist in selecting ferrules for the ferrule connection, conventional practice makes use of several known methods of identifying an optical characteristic and using the identification to maximize the fiber optic communication signal transfer between ferrules. For example, a method of “tuning” two connectors, generally, includes measuring the eccentricity of each ferrule in its respective connector, marking each ferrule at the optimum direction of its eccentricity, and rotating one of the ferrules to align the mark on the one ferrule with the mark on the second ferrule in a mating relationship in order to minimize insertion loss. Another marking example, though not a standard in the United States, makes use of color coding to label angle polish endfaces of ferrules to categorize backreflection loss, for example, green is typically used to label the lowest backreflection loss.
In addition to the optical characteristics described above, many fiber optic manufacturers and customers require a way to manage their fiber optic assemblies, such as, for example, using a product characteristic known as a date code to mark a manufacturing date on a connector. Heretofore, no marking method or fiber optic component has been know that provides a consolidated marking tool that combines optical characteristics with product characteristics. Rather, conventional practice dictates that a fiber optic component have a variety of markings, such as, for example, a “tuning” mark, a color label indicative of backreflection loss, and a date code.
Accordingly, there is a need for a marking method and for the fiber optic component produced thereby that achieves these and other benefits.